Sugar Skull
by NetherStray
Summary: The adventures of an intersex blood elf warlock prostitute and his demon skull companion.
1. Chapter 1

_Reviews of all kinds are welcome and loved!_

* * *

"Aren't you just the most darling little thing?" The elf turned the lifeless demon skull over in his hands. The bone was smooth against his silk gloves and must have been polished by many years of weathering. Its horns, though ribbed, were similarly smoothed out by its years in death. Lorei smiled broadly, his velvety red lips curving up. "How much for this handsome fellow?"

"We'll call it…" The merchant hesitated. "...Two hundred."

"Two hundred!" Lorei balked. "For a centerpiece! If it could at least tell a decent joke, I might consider it, but this is nothing but a curiosity!"

"Not as curious as whatever's going on 'tween your legs, tell you that much."

Lorei and the merchant looked at the skull. The merchant grinned and held out his hand. A large sack of coins fell into it. "Come again!"

* * *

"So, you have a name, right?" The skull rested on the kitchenette table where its glowing eye sockets whirled with curiosity. "I'm not calling you 'master' or 'mistress' or whatever else, forget it."

"It's Lorei," he replied as he fluffed out his hair. "Don't be silly. You're a pet, not a servant. Not unless I figure out a good use for you, of course." Lorei smiled and scooped the skull up on his way to the bathroom. "So! What's your name, mm?"

"Kathrask-where are you taking me-don't tell me you're going to make me your toilet paper holder."

"Nonsense." Lorei set him on the edge of the tub and turned the knobs of the faucet. "You're the soap dish."

"Kill me."

The elf began pulling off his thigh-length boots. "You're already dead, darling. Don't be silly."

"What are you doing now?"

"What does it look like?"

Kathrask clicked his teeth a few times. "Did you know I can grant wishes but only if my eyes are virgin eyes?"

"So sad that you don't have eyes, then. I could use some wishes." He dropped his cloak to the floor and slid off his clothes before stepping into the tub. Kathrask groaned. Lorei grinned and picked him up as he settled into the steaming hot water. "What's the matter? Are you dirty, too?"

"I _feel_ dirty."

Lorei erupted in giggles. "Youuu! Come on, now. If you want, I can make sure you're nice and clean. I have a bottle brush somewhere around here." He winked. "I could wash you with the dishes, if you prefer."

Kathrask grumbled. "This is my existence now. Once mighty, depleted of power, now relegated to a bath toy."

"Don't be so dour." Lorei gently rubbed a bit of dirt out of a crevice on the side of the skull. "You could be stuck on a shelf in some old, dusty library. At least you have someone to talk to."

"Until you get bored."

Lorei paused. He lifted the skull to eye level. "Is that what happened?"

The skull's glowing orbs in its sockets whirled away. "No. Forget it."

"You know, if I wanted to, I could just compel you." Lorei sank down further into the water, nestling Kathrask against his shoulder in the crook of his neck. "You're awfully weak. You don't even have the energy to siphon power to replenish yourself. I suspect the fact that you're in Quel'thalas is the only reason you can speak at all."

"Nice guy you turned out to be," he muttered.

"I'm not _going_ to, darling. You're no threat to me." Lorei smiled and nuzzled the polished skull. "In fact, I'm already quite fond."

Kathrask remained silent for a while. The bath sloshed as Lorei lifted a leg to wash it, then lowered it and lifted the other. Eventually, he spoke up again. "Which shelf am I going to occupy?"

"Mm? Probably one of the rotating shelves."

"Those make me sick."

Lorei grinned. "Alright. How about the one that floats on my balcony?"

"I don't want to be outside all the time."

"Darling, I can't have you indoors all the time." Lorei pulled his knees up and rested Kathrask on them. "I have guests and clients."

"...'Clients.'"

"Mmhm."

"And?"

"Do you _want_ to watch me having sex almost every day?"

"Oh. Oh, come on. Oh, fate, _why?_ "

Lorei nodded. "That's why I want to put you on the outdoor shelf."

"Just throw a towel over me!"

"What if I forget?"

"I won't let you forget! Believe me!"

"What if you startle my client by screaming for a towel?"

"Better them than me."

Lorei rolled his eyes. "Outdoor decor. That's what you are unless you can get over it."

"What if you put me on a window sill instead?"

Lorei, dressed in lingerie and a silk dressing gown, sat on his bed and flipped though a magazine. Kathrask was settled on his lap. "The window sills aren't big enough to fit you, darling."

The skull's glowing orbs whirled about in a panic. He had to think of something. The hour was nigh. "Just face me toward a wall for tonight. But don't forget to turn me around in the morning!"

Lorei let the magazine fall and sighed. "Honestly, I've known plenty of demons to be indifferent to sex, but never one to be outright squeamish of it." His gaze fell to Kathrask. "What is it, mm?"

The skull's orbs whirled up. "What? It's nothing. I want nothing of this."

"What kind of demon are you, anyway?" Lorei tilted his head and lifted the skull for a better look.

"Undiscovered," he muttered. "Enough about me. What about you? Makeup, goatee? Stiletto heels and a phallus, what's that all about?"

"I am exactly what you see," Lorei murmured as he inspected the horns more closely. "...Oh. Oh, I see. You, my weathered friend, were hard to get a read on at first…"

"Explain yourself first!"

"You're an incubus, aren't you?"

"I'm waiting!"

"Kathrask, darling, come clean."

The skull chattered his teeth. "I demand my answer! Male or female?! Ignore me!"

Lorei grinned. "You're not going to get flustered if you watch. You're going to get _frustrated_."

"ANSWER ME! _ME!_ " he howled as loudly as his hoarse voice could manage.

"And that's probably why you said what you did at the merchant's stall, isn't it? You couldn't figure me out. Oh, you clever little thing."

Kathrask's jaw clenched and he kept silent.

Lorei tapped his lips for a moment. "Then I'll make you a deal. I own you, so I will bind you properly to my will. You will be a good little paperweight and companion as I demand, as well as serve in any capacity that I may require. And in exchange-for there must always _be_ an exchange with your kind-I will ease your frustration."

"You can't hold up your end," he snapped. "I refuse. You'll have to force me. You may as well smash me."

"Oh, but darling, I _can_." Lorei lifted him from his lap and stepped off the bed, carrying him to a set of drawers. He knelt before them and pulled one open. Inside were innumerable toys, neatly organized and glittering with unique shapes and possibilities. Lorei held Kathrask to the side and picked one of them out. He gently nudged the base of the toy against the skull's teeth. "Open wide, darling."

Kathrask hesitantly opened his jaw. The toy slid in and Lorei pushed up under his jaw, bidding him to hold onto it. "Oh. Oh my." Kathrask's glowing orbs whirled in their sockets.

Lorei smirked and closed the drawer. "Come on. You can warm me up before my client arrives." As he carried the skull back to the bed, he glanced down at it. "...Kathrask? Do we have a deal?"

The skull trembled in his hands. "Uh-huh."

"And you won't mind if you see me in the act, right?"

"Uh-uh."

Lorei smiled. He placed the skull on the bed and slid off his robe. Then, he settled in front of Kathrask, his legs parted. Lorei stroked himself with his left hand while his right reached out to cradle the skull and pull him closer. The tip of the toy came to rest against his soft, pink lips. Kathrask trembled more. "Move your jaw as you like, darling. I'll move you."

"Yeah."

Lorei hummed softly in reply.

"But first, um…"

"Mm?"

"...Please don't leave me on the shelf all night, master."

"I'll bring you to bed before I sleep."

"Thank you, master."

"Mmhm."


	2. Chapter 2

_Reviews of all kinds are welcome and loved!_

* * *

"Hey." Kathrask waited. When no reply came from the prone elf, he tried again, louder this time. " _Hey_. Get up. You said you'd take me to bed."

Slowly, Lorei lifted his head. He winced and reached for his lower back, then carefully pushed himself up. "Owh-ahh…" He sat up on his bed and kept himself on his knees. There wasn't any point in resting on his rear just yet.

"I'll be honest, I didn't think your kind were capable of that."

"Demons aren't the only devils in this world," Lorei muttered as he gingerly stepped off the bed. He slid his feet into his slippers one after the other, then walked to the bathroom, picking up his robe along the way. Kathrask clicked his jaw. Lorei paused and grabbed him off the shelf before he continued.

"Are you done for the night?"

"Mmhmmh…" The water flowed into the tub. Steam filled the room and a heady scent of lavender floated through it. Lorei settled into the fragrant water on his knees, folding his arms on the tub's edge. He tucked Kathrask up by his head.

"I think I can smell that." Kathrask waited. "I don't know how but I think I can. Is it some sort of herb?" He waited more. "I thought I had no sense of smell, but maybe my nasal cavity was full of dust." Kathrask clicked. "Hey. Wake up!"

Lorei lifted his head. He glanced at the skull, blinked slowly, and yawned. "Uh-huh… Mmh… It's lavender. Nothing fancy."

"Are you actually hurt or are you just tired?"

The elf gazed down at the skull and cradled it in his hands, rocking it thoughtfully from side to side. "...You know, I'm no stranger to demons, and I'm no stranger to incubi, either." He rested on the side of his hip in the tub, stifled another yawn, and continued. "Mmf… I know you're hoping I'll give you more power and eventually let my guard down."

Kathrask's orbs whirled down. "No."

"Darling, let's not play that game. I'm tired, I'm not in the mood, and I've been through it."

"No, that's not it." The orbs whirled back up. "I looked up in the sky on the way here. It was Argus."

Lorei paused. "...Yes. It's a long story, from what I've heard."

"And I've heard it. I've kept quiet and heard things. Everyone talks when they don't think I'm listening." His jaw clicked. "The Legion might… It's a long shot, but… But I remember what happened. I really do."

"'What happened?' What do you mean?" Lorei cupped his hand in the water and poured it onto the skull, idly washing it as it spoke.

"I-I remember how I was before they came. I couldn't before. I don't think anyone could. All the fel energy and shadow magic and being ordered around like that… And I remember trying to run. But then I realized it wasn't worth it. Someone was gone and I had nowhere to go. I just went back and… and I gave in…" Kathrask hesitated. "And… and when I gave in, they gave me all the power I could ever want-assuming I could master it-and anywhere they set me out to use it, there were mortals waiting for me." His jaw clenched. "That was good. It was bad, but it was _good_."

"Why are you telling me this, darling?" Lorei picked up the washcloth and reached into the water to gently wash himself, wincing now and then.

"...I was awful." Kathrask muttered. "I turned into what I tried to run away from."

"You didn't have a choice."

"But I loved it. It was exhilarating! And horrible!" Kathrask cackled nervously. "Yes! Yes, all that pain and humiliation I caused! For my masters! My burning, thoughtless masters! They didn't love me! Didn't even appreciate my work! Hah! AHAHA!"

Lorei dropped the washcloth and gripped the skull in both hands. "Kathrask, calm down!"

"Can't hurt anyone now! Everyone's safe! Just a bath toy! Soap dish! Centerpiece! Haha!"

Lorei forced the skull against the edge of the tub and focused his energies against it. A shadow passed through the room. " _Silence!_ " Kathrask stopped, his glowing orbs fixed on his master. Lorei held him firm for a moment. "You _will_ be calm now. Do you understand? Speak."

"Yes," he managed.

Lorei stood up from his bath with a sigh and stepped out. "Kathrask, make no mistake. If I could meet you before you became a demon, I have no doubt you were a lovely person. For that matter, you seem to be a lovely person now." He pulled a towel from nearby and started to dry off. "However, there isn't anything I can do to change your situation. Your soul is indelibly linked to the final piece of your physical form, so you can't be given a new form. I can't go back in time to your world and take you away from it. And even if I could, you would still exist as you are." He draped the towel over the drying rack and smiled ruefully as he picked Kathrask up. "But I can keep you here with me and see what kind of fun we can have. That's what I can offer."

"Well…" His jaw clicked. "At least I ended up with you. Everyone else who figured out I could talk thought I was a prude."

"A prude!" Lorei laughed and picked up his dressing gown before leaving the bathroom. "How could they ever think that?"

"Ehh. I tried to stay quiet. I tried. They'd put me on the shelf in their lab and eventually they'd start dry humping their experiments, so I'd start screaming. They thought it was because I didn't approve."

"Mm, and how wrong they were." After tossing the dressing gown onto his trunk by the bed, Lorei threw back the sheets and climbed in, holding Kathrask to his chest. "What's your preference, anyway? Male? Female?"

"Preference?"

"Mm, which do you prefer? Or, I suppose, which _did_ you prefer?"

"I'm not following."

Lorei laid down on his side. "That answers that, then." He pulled one of his pillows over to rest between his legs and lifted Kathrask to kiss his forehead. "Then I suppose this is goodnight." He placed the skull up beside his pillows. When his jaw clicked several times in a row, Lorei blinked. "What?"

"I don't want to be up here."

"Then where do you want to be, darling?"

"I'll know it when I find it."

Lorei reached up and pulled the skull down into the sheets, resting him against his crotch. It took a moment, but Kathrask eventually piped up. "Very funny. Not here."

"Then where?"

"Somewhere else."

Lorei smirked. He then pulled the skull up against his chest, cradling it there. "How about this?"

"...We can try this for now."

"Mm, very well." Lorei snuggled into his pillow. "Goodnight, darling."

"'Night." Kathrask waited and listened. He could feel the vibrations of not only the elf's breaths, but his heartbeat. As he listened, he caught the exact moment when Lorei finally relaxed, then perhaps when he began to drift off to sleep. Kathrask listened intently to those sounds. Hopefully, this elf would stand by his word and wouldn't just abandon him when he tired of him. If he did… Thoughts of revenge mingled with overwhelming visions of despair. How could so many people just treat him like some sort of object, especially after they knew he could think and speak? How? _How?_

Kathrask's jaw went wide and he flicked himself toward the nearest target, biting onto it. It ended up being Lorei's chest. Lorei gasped and let out a whimper, swatting instinctively at the skull. Kathrask immediately released him, desperately thinking of what to say. But Lorei only pulled him tighter against himself. He… didn't even wake up. His pain threshold was such that it had probably felt _good_. Kathrask let out a sigh of relief.


	3. Chapter 3

He hated being stuck on the shelf. Most of the time, he didn't mind it. He knew he couldn't go everywhere with his master. If he could at least levitate on his own and follow him around, he wouldn't be a handful. And when the house was empty, he didn't even mind watching the place for anything unusual. But watching _this_ was Kathrask's least favorite thing.

Customers always riled him up. This one was no different. What, just because he paid money, that gave him the right to yank the master's hair, pin him down, and bore him to death? Kathrask had half a mind to look away, but if he did, he knew it wouldn't sit well with him, either. Somehow, it was as if he was betraying him. So he watched as this trifling man shoved his master around and pushed him onto his chest as if to fantasize that he was some particular woman who had snubbed him, who now couldn't refuse him.

As the paying man sawed in and out of his rented lover, Lorei glanced over his pillow toward the clock. He bit his lip. No, not time yet. He threw his head down against the pillow and groaned. Lorei flexed his hands. His wrists were sore from being pinned so haphazardly for so long. No wonder this man was here…

Kathrask continued to watch. This was ridiculous. If it had been him, he would have… No, he couldn't start thinking that. If he started thinking that, he would start screaming next. His jaw clicked. What a joke. What a _joke!_ Fate was so cruel. And yet if he had kept his form, had he met this warlock, he would have either been banished or enslaved. From the way he treated his other minions, nothing interesting would have happened. For that matter, Kathrask himself wouldn't have been of a sound mind to even think of it. He groaned at his luck just as the customer finally made a mess of himself.

Only a few words were exchanged as the customer cleaned himself up and left. He seemed embarrassed to have even been there, but from what Kathrask could tell, he shifted it squarely onto Lorei. The nerve… He was the one who paid for the privilege! Once he was gone, Kathrask finally shouted "That FILTH!"

Lorei's gaze darted to the shelved skull. "Hm?"

"Ungrateful scum! The nerve…!"

Lorei shook his head and retrieved the skull from the shelf before heading to the bathroom. "I take it you weren't a fan, mm?"

"He deserves to burn!"

"I know, darling," he consoled. "Let's not get too carried away. He was a paying guest. I have another visitor soon, so you'll need to get yourself calmed down." He twisted the knobs of the tub and set Kathrask on the edge.

"Another! In the same day? How?"

Lorei raised a brow. "Do you really think I'm spent after him?"

"...What if you had been?"

"I've had him before. I knew what to expect."

Kathrask grumbled.

"Besides, it's good to be warmed up before this one. He's more important." Lorei stepped into the tub and settled in. He began washing up, but remained quiet a while longer. He glanced to Kathrask. "I'm going to ask you to sit this one out, alright? It's a little more personal."

"No."

"Darling, trust me."

"Why?"

"Because it's in your best interests."

"Is it in yours?"

Lorei focused on washing his legs. "Kathrask, you're helpless. I don't want you to be obsessing on that this evening."

"I wasn't going to until you said that." Lorei rolled his eyes and continued washing himself. Kathrask's jaw chattered. "Are you in trouble? Use me as a focus to blast them! We can do it!"

"Believe me, if anything happened to him, there would be more trouble than I could handle."

"I'm not sitting it out."

"And why not?" Lorei dunked his head into the water for a few seconds, then came back up to shampoo his hair.

"I can't."

"If you liked to watch, then I'd let you. But you don't. You'll only throw a fit. I'm putting you downstairs."

Kathrask clicked his jaw. He then gave a few more swings of his jaw, managing to spin himself around on the edge of the tub, then flung himself into the water. Lorei sighed and rolled his eyes. "Honestly…" He felt around in the clouded water. "Kathrask, come here." The warlock frowned. Then, he felt a smooth, round object nuzzle in under his thigh.

"Just tell me who he is," Kathrask said. His voice came clear, disembodied as it was.

Lorei sighed and massaged his hair clean. "...You're not going to like it. But maybe you'll understand my side of it." He pulled Kathrask out from under his thigh before he dunked his head in to rinse out the shampoo. With that finished, he draped his hair over his shoulder. "I don't know how much you learned of the Sin'dorei, but there was a time when our crowned prince sought an alliance with the Burning Legion. And once upon a time, I was among those who thought it could work in our favor."

Kathrask listened intently. A thought began tempting him away, however. The idea of his master becoming one with the Legion, becoming a demon like himself… What a pair they could have made! What destruction, what sweet terror they could have sown… Kathrask's jaw began to chatter.

"Well. I stayed among those forces for too long. In my defense, it was against my better judgment. Eventually, I was captured and I surrendered information to the Shattered Sun Offensive. And when the extent of my crimes came to light, like so many others, I was slated for execution."

"But?"

Lorei lifted the skull from the bath and rested him on his knees. " _But_ then one of the magisters working with the Offensive claimed that there had been some mistake. He insisted that my papers had been misfiled under the wrong name. Someone else faced my punishment and I savored their clemency." Lorei stared at the water. "...The only reason I'm alive today is because of the man who will be arriving in two hours."

"That's good. You've moved on, see? A second chance is all you needed. Same as me."

"No, Kathrask," Lorei said, staring intently at the skull. "You don't understand. If that man wills it, I'll be discovered. My crimes will come to light and I will be put to death. He has me where he needs me. He maneuvered the truth. They know the one who was executed those years ago was wrongly condemned. They know someone got away, but they lost all the papers with my name on them. He has them. And if anything should happen to him, they will be released." Lorei hesitated, then quietly added, "He made this clear to me."

Kathrask stared up at his master. "...This is no different than the Legion. You know that, don't you? The fear and the threat, it's all the same."

"The irony isn't lost on me, love." Lorei lifted the skull to kiss its forehead. He sighed afterward. "But… that's why I need you to stay away for this. I guess it's better that you know and that you didn't find out by chance, but… but I still don't want you to be a witness."

"...I don't like this."

Lorei shook his head. "I don't like it, either. But life isn't perfect. And-" His head whipped around as the garden bell rang. "...Oh, by the Light. Is he here already?!"

"Huh?"

Lorei hurried out of the tub and grabbed a towel, quickly wiping himself down before he ran out of the bathroom, Kathrask in hand by one of his horns. Lorei grabbed his scrying orb from his shelf and peered into it. "The gate," he muttered. The swirling fog within the orb parted to reveal a richly appointed man standing by the door at the base of the tower, admiring the surrounding garden while he waited. Lorei dropped the orb on its stand and stumbled back. "Oh no. No, no, no." He ran back into the bathroom. "No no no no no _no_ …"

Kathrask let out a yelp as he landed on the sink counter. His master was a whirl of motion, busily styling his hair and applying his rouge. But it wasn't right. Master should have had that spark of confidence and playful mischief. At that moment, Kathrask saw worry in his eyes; there was a genuine fear of what might happen next. Once, he had relished that change. It meant he had done his job well. It was a sign that his prey was broken and their soul was ripe for the taking. Now… "Master."

Lorei stared at himself in the mirror, his eyebrows finished. His lipstick still needed a dusting of gold. And what about his eyelids? Everything was out of order in his panic. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes, Kathrask?"

"...I want to stay inside. I won't make a sound. But I want to be there."

Lorei turned and gazed down at the skull with a pained smile. He jumped as the bell rang again and quickly returned to his work. "Almost done, almost, almost… Belore, _belore_ …"

"You look great. You'll knock him dead, no doubt."

* * *

As requested, his hair had been twisted and fixed into place with a long, jeweled pin. Not too tightly, not too loose. As requested, he wore the silver and blue slip with white dressing gown which was to be worn for _him_ , no one else. And as requested, Lorei greeted him at the door of the lower translocation room on his knees with his head bowed. "Doral ana'diel, Talthys?"

"I've already waited fifteen minutes. Get up."

Lorei stood and turned, returning to the upper floor via the orb of translocation. His guest followed after, taking a look around. "You cleaned, correct?"

"You arrived early. I didn't have the chance."

Talthys sighed. "You know I hate the stench of your other lovers. All that filth… Hm." His gaze traced across the room and came to rest on the shelves. "What a tasteless little knick knack." Kathrask's gaze followed him. "Enchanted skull's are passé, Loreielle. Surely you know how outdated that is." He shook his head and went to the bed, shedding his outer robe as he walked. "But I can't expect much, can I?"

"No, of course not." Lorei followed, glancing to Kathrask. He glanced back to Talthys. The man was in the midst of pulling off his shirt. Lorei looked back to Kathrask and motioned for his silence before he turned back to his guest. "Talthys, would you like your wine?"

"No, I don't want it this time." He slid his pants off next and folded them, stacking them atop the rest of his clothes. Lorei took the stack of clothes and set it aside while the magister got comfortable on the bed. Talthys adjusted the pillows and waited for Lorei's return, watching him with a predatory gaze.

Something wasn't right. This was all so formal compared to the others. Kathrask reasoned it must have been because of their deal, true, but it was almost ritualized in a way. Talthys barely seemed to have any interest in him. Where was the lust? Why was he even here?

Lorei waited by the bed and clasped his hands behind his waist. Talthys eyed him carefully before eventually waving him over. He watched as Lorei stepped up onto the bed and walked across to him, lowering onto his knees astride his hips. Talthys gently nudged back the edges of the silken white dressing gown, letting it cascade down Lorei's arms like water.

It was bizarre. There was so much staring, so much silence. Lorei was so close to him now, but all he had done was take off one piece of clothing. Kathrask watched Talthys lean up and whisper something in Lorei's ear. He didn't like the way his master just stayed frozen like that. It was as if his will had gone up in smoke. Talthys then fished into the pockets of the discarded dressing gown and pulled out a pair of white ribbons. He tied one of them around Lorei's eyes. Lorei moved his hands behind his back and allowed his wrists to be securely tied.

"Deep breath, Loreielle."

Kathrask almost felt relieved. Finally, something he understood.

Talthys waited. He then slapped Lorei's head. "Deep breath, I said." Lorei cringed, but sucked in a sudden deep breath just before Talthys' hands wrapped around his throat. The man pushed forward to force his bound lover down, adding to the immense pressure upon him.

Kathrask withheld a growl. That _swine_.

But it went on for too long. Much too long. Lorei struggled against him, his legs kicking in spasms and his breath escaping in tortured bursts. Still Talthys held strong against him. Lorei's painted lips gasped for breath. Talthys only pushed harder.

Kathrask stared. Master stopped moving. No breath passed through his parted lips. His struggle had ended and his body was limp; Lorei's head slowly fell to the side, his neck welted and red from the magister's deadly grip. All Kathrask could do was watch, his master's words echoing through his hollow, dusty cavern.

 _Kathrask, you're helpless. I don't want you to be obsessing on that this evening._

He truly felt it. The frustration of being kept from his carnal pleasures was nothing compared to the deep, useless hatred welling up in him now. And then, he realized the monster in his master's bed was untying him. Kathrask shuddered. Why… Lorei's arms were pushed up over his head as he laid on his back. Talthys then slid the slip up his form and pulled it away.

No. _No_.

* * *

Hours passed. Talthys had made a mess of the house; several different wines had been sampled but none had been put away. The kitchen had been raided for food, particularly the chocolates kept in the ice chest. Half of them were now gone. He had taken a bath, but tossed his towels on the bedroom floor. The sheets were tangled and damp, and as Talthys drank directly from the bottle of wine he had settled on, he kept Lorei tucked into his arm, limp and lifeless. The beauty's skin had started to pale as it chilled, but it didn't seem to concern the magister in the slightest.

Kathrask was furious. The master's home looked like a cheap room at a seedy inn. And the master himself… Murdered by that fiend, treated like a toy, like some sort of doll he barely deserved to even look at. Kathrask seethed. If he had his true form, oh, how he would sunder that man, how he would rip out his spine, how he would tear the veins from his arms and twist them around his neck… He wanted to scream. He wanted to howl in agony and never stop. But… Kathrask stared at his master's lifeless form, his head falling back as his murderer re-positioned himself more comfortably against his body. He had promised the master to keep silent. The master's final command to him was of silence. One finger lifted to his lips. _Silence_. The skull trembled on the shelf.

Was this yet another cruel twist of fate? Would the scavengers come to pick apart the master's home to sell off the salvage, selling _him_ off as some curiosity? He would get this man for what he had done. He would _get this man_.

Talthys yawned and set the wine aside, rolling over onto his toy corpse to steal more misbegotten kisses from it. The effort tired him quickly. His head fell against Lorei's chest with a heavy sigh. "You wear me out, you know that? Heheh…" He propped himself up on his elbows and slid a finger along Lorei's lips. "Buuut you're so good at it, eh? Hehe, yes you a-are. Heheh. Mmmmm…" Drunkenly, he fell in for another round of kissing.

"Mwuh." He rested his head against the body's chest, grabbing one of its hands to lace his fingers alongside. "Think you wanna?... Yeah…" Talthys cleared his throat and crawled up onto his knees, positioning himself over the body. Kathrask looked away. What a joke he had become. An incubus who couldn't stand the sight of debauchery. But this was different. This was pointless. This accomplished _nothing_. There was nothing to be gained. He cringed and looked back. Talthys was trying to have another go, but it didn't seem to be working. Kathrask snickered quietly. The idiot was too drunk to manage. There was some justice in the world after all.

* * *

The next morning, Talthys was finally sober enough to wake up. He clung tightly to the body, feeling across his victim's back before sliding down to his rear and thigh. But with a groan, it was clear: his hangover far overpowered his desire for more. He muttered as he rose from the bed and retrieved his neatly-folded clothing to dress himself. Kathrask stared down at him from the shelf. The murderer gazed down at Lorei's lifeless form with scant admiration. After fastening his robe's uppermost clasp, he reached down and stroked the autumn waves of hair spilled across the bed. He then sat on the edge of the bed, gazing down at the exposed body a while longer. Anger bubbled up in Kathrask's mind once more as Talthys took one of Lorei's cold hands, caressing it as if it belonged to someone he cared for. That filth. If only he could at least sink his teeth into him. He could at least tear his throat out. See how much he would eroticize death then…

It was not until the murderer leaned down to kiss him that he finally pulled away. "Soon, my pet," he murmured. He stood from the bed and left for the orb of translocation. Kathrask heard the sizzle of magic as the orb was used.

Kathrask stared at the bed in the silence of the empty house. Another empty, abandoned house. He had been here once before. And just like before, there was a corpse waiting to be discovered by either family or the local authorities. Knowing master, it would be one of his clients. They might assume he was raped, murdered, then robbed. They wouldn't know the truth unless he told them. And oh, he would.

But they wouldn't believe him. Deep down, Kathrask knew it.

Lorei had feared that man. He willingly allowed himself to be bound and blinded by a man he truly feared. There was no way a talking demon skull could convince anyone that a man of such authority-of such apparently official governmental authority-would not only associate with a prostitute, but commit such a series of heinous crimes.

The clock chime rang in the ninth hour of morning. Kathrask sighed as the bells played their course. Still, he would tell the story to any who would listen. He would find any unsavory folk he could get and convince them however possible to find that man and torture him to death. He gazed down at his master as the clock chimed its last note. Master had respected him and done his best for him, though he amounted to nothing more than a fanciful paperweight. He deserved all the justice he could muster.

The final hums of the bells sounded their last. Suddenly, a violet light slammed down into Lorei's body from the ceiling, lifting him a foot off the bed. Screams of tormented souls tore into him and mingled with the sudden gasp of air that filled his lungs. He continued to rise, lifted as though by an invisible hand under his waist, hanging upside-down while the unholy magic restored warmth and color to his body. Kathrask watched in disbelief as the pact between the warlock and his stolen souls was fulfilled.

Lorei's eyes flew open and he grasped his heart as it suddenly started beating again. He suddenly fell back onto the bed, hyperventilating uncontrollably until he clapped a hand over his mouth and forced himself to breathe evenly.

"...MASTER!" Kathrask cried, flinging himself across the shelf by his jaw. "MASTER, YOU LIVE!"

Lorei looked up, still holding a hand over his mouth. He reached out with his other and sparks of shadow weakly flew forth. He closed his eyes and focused. Kathrask flew off the shelf at Lorei's beckoning and into his master's arms, held against his cheek. "Kath…"

"Master…" The skull trembled. "Master, I stayed quiet, I promise I didn't make any sound. He didn't suspect me at all. But… but why? Why do you let him do that?! Why?! I hate him! I HATE HIM!"

Lorei pressed his lips to the skull's forehead and pulled him against his chest. "Hush… I'm so sorry you saw that… I should have put you away…"

"Don't ever put me away!" Kathrask's jaw rattled. "Ever! Do you understand me?"

Lorei gazed down at the demon skull, his eyes misty. He lifted it to his face and nuzzled it against his cheek as he curled up. "Not ever, darling… Not _ever_."


	4. Chapter 4

From the edge of the bathtub, Kathrask watched his master for any sign of distress. He laid in the tub and rested his head on a pillow, his hair tied up and away from the water. He seemed so still and peaceful. Once again, Kathrask spoke up. "Master?"

"For the last time, I'm not dead."

"But-" The demon sighed. "Is that what always happens with him?!"

"Kathrask, imagine you're a powerful magister. Why on earth would you save a dangerous, morally bankrupt warlock from execution?" Lorei lifted his brows and waited.

"...To… summon something?"

"He's a necrophiliac. Only a warlock could possibly revive themselves with such regularity."

"So why doesn't he just find himself an undead and leave you alone?"

"The undead aren't the kind of corpses he wants. He wants something that doesn't think, speak, or feel." Lorei sighed and muttered "Something on his emotional level, basically."

"...Are they all like that?"

"What? Necrophiliacs? No, it's just a kink like any other. A little more difficult to manage in most cases, but…" He glanced to Kathrask. "Talthys is just a cruel man. His interests are no excuse for the way he is. He could come here, treat me well, and be gentle and respectful toward not only myself but also my things. But he's not. He's a terrible, awful person." Lorei bit his lip.

Kathrask watched his master. His gaze had gone unfocused as he explained. The skull piped up. "Yeah, well, he was too limp-dicked to do any more after he got drunk. That idiot."

Lorei blinked at Kathrask. He slowly grinned. "...Oh?"

"Couldn't figure out the corkscrew at first, either."

The elf's eyes lit up. "I got a new one! It's simple once you figure it out. Heavens, he's running our government and that gave him trouble?" Lorei laughed. "Anything else I should know?"

"Let's see… At one point, his leg was twisted up in the sheets and he fell over on his way out of the bed."

Lorei burst out laughing, doubling over in the tub. "How… How did you stay so quiet during all this?"

"Well, excuse me, but I was busy mourning your untimely death and contemplating revenge against your murderer."

Lorei picked the skull up and nuzzled it against his cheek. "Tch, _you_ …" He smiled. "And what does Talthys have to look forward to from the merciless wrath of Kathrask?"

"I'm going to seduce a bunch of thugs with promises of money and power into beating him to death."

"Now, darling, I think that's far better than he deserves." He smirked.

"Maybe they can beat him to death with rolled-up legal documents for dramatic irony."

"Oh, that might be good. Or perhaps the thugs could simply throw you at him until he bleeds to death."

"I like all of these."

Lorei turned and kissed the skull's polished front teeth. "You don't need to choose just one, darling. Dream big."

Kathrask purred. "...Master?"

"Mm?"

He hesitated. "...Another?"

Lorei smiled. He held the skull as he would cradle a lover's head and kissed his teeth slowly and thoughtfully. His fingers slid over his skull as though stroking over hair, coming to rest under his jaw. "You know," he murmured, "I have a personal rule. It's a very good rule, but I'm breaking it as we speak."

"...What's that?" Kathrask gazed up at him, entranced.

"No demon is to be treated as a friend, much less as a lover. It's a mistake I've seen others make. They think a bond of trust is something they can form with the demons in their service. Then, they let their guard down and pay the ultimate price." Lorei slid a hand over the polished surface of the skull. The glowing orbs in his sockets stared up at him in stunned silence.

"...I watched you die today, master."

"And how did you feel when it happened?"

"...Angry."

"Why?"

Kathrask stared at the water. "...Because. Because he…" His gaze darted to the side. Suddenly, a searing sensation flooded through him. His eye sockets and jaws roiled with flickering shadows. " _FILTH! HE THINKS THE MASTER LIVES OR DIES BY HIS COMMAND! I WILL SLAY HIM MYSELF!_ " The shadows subsided in an instant. Kathrask's gaze darted around and eventually spotted Lorei's hand lowering into the water. A tingle of residual magic followed in its wake.

"...The trouble is that a demon doesn't understand love. Only obsession and possession ever come close." He leaned his head back against his pillow once more, resting Kathrask against his chest.

"No," the skull chattered, "no no no _no_ , that's not true, what would you know?" Kathrask growled. "That's not _true!_ That can't be true…"

"To the best of my knowledge and in all my studies, it's true." Lorei lifted Kathrask to rest against his neck. "...But I want you to know this. I know that your situation is different. I know that you're not drowning in intoxicating magic and being driven mad by fel every waking moment. And so… well. Here we are, aren't we?"

Kathrask trembled. All this talk had him on edge. Was he about to be thrown out? Sold off? Did master think he was getting too close…? "I'll be quieter, master. I'll stop demanding so much attention." Lorei blinked and lowered the skull to look at him. "I will! I'm sorry! Please reconsider!"

"Darling, what on earth?"

"I'm not a burden!"

"I never said you were." Lorei lifted the skull against his neck once more, nuzzling it. "What's gotten into you, mm? Calm down..."

Kathrask's trembling slowly melted into purring. Lorei leaned his head back and the skull's dull, polished teeth nibbled at his throat.


End file.
